This invention relates to lamp socket assemblies and in particular to lamp socket assemblies such as are used in tail lights of automobiles and the like. Many such lamp socket designs have been provided in the prior art. However, these prior art lamp socket assemblies have had a number of problems associated with them. One problem with such prior art light socket assemblies has been that they are rather complicated and therefore costly to manufacture and assemble. Another problem has been that the electrical contact parts of many such socket assemblies have been subject to corrosion thereby leading to failure of the assemblies. In an effort to provide proper seals for tail light assemblies, some manufacturers have provided large cut-outs in the metal panels of the automobile trunk and have then mounted the tail light lamp socket assembly on a lay up. The entire layup was then secured to the metal panel, such as by screws, with a seal or gasket inserted between the layup and the metal panel. Not only have such lamp assemblies been rather costly to manufacture, but servicing such assemblies, for instance for replacement of burned out bulbs, is quite time consuming and may result in failure to properly install the lamp seal with attendant corrosion problems.
In the use of prior art lamp socket assemblies, the lamp sockets themselves generally extend into the trunk space of the car. This results in several problems. First of all, by extending a substantial distance into the trunk area, the sockets are subject to damage by items stored in the trunk. Some sockets are not adequately secured in place and are easily knocked out of the trunk panel. Furthermore, with the advent of smaller cars, there is less trunk space available then previously and therefore it is undesirable to have the lamp socket assemblies extend very far into the trunk space.
Some prior art lamp socket assemblies have used a bayonet type of socket which uses a compression spring to ensure proper contact with the bulb. Such sockets are particularly undesirable as the compression spring causes the socket to have a rather high profile which extends a substantial distance into the trunk space. Still other prior art lamp socket assemblies have sought to achieve a low profile by using potted contact structures. These devices are expensive to construct and furthermore are difficult to service.
Still other prior art lamp socket assemblies have been provided wherein the base of the unit is resilient and forms the seal for the assembly. This type of structure is easily over-torqued and damaged when it is installed in an automobile.
Still a further problem with prior art socket assemblies has been that, to achieve a different focal length, an entire new socket assembly had to be constructed. This required substantial investment in tooling and therefore made the socket assemblies rather expensive to manufacture. It is therefore desired to provide a lamp socket assembly which uses a substantial number of common parts to achieve structures having various focal lengths.
Some automobile light assemblies, such as tail light assemblies, comprise a sealed assembly including a housing and lenses for the tail lights. The housing includes apertures for the insertion of socket assemblies, with the bulb of such assemblies inserted into the housing. It is therefore desired to provide a socket assembly for use with such sealed tail light assemblies wherein the socket assembly is sealed to the housing.
It is therefore desired to provide a lamp socket assembly which is simple in construction and which has a low profile. It is furthermore desired to provide a lamp socket assembly which requires only a small cut-out in an automobile panel and which may be sealed to the panel of the automobile without the use of expensive and large gaskets.
Additionally, it is desired to provide a lamp socket assembly which may be used with sealed lamp structures and wherein the socket assembly is sealed to the lamp structure to prevent moisture from entering thereinto.
Still further it is desired to provide a sealed lamp socket assembly which may be used with our without a connector so that a complete tail lamp assembly having a number of sockets may use a single connector.